Comments on Opps they did it againTypePad2014-10-07T20:33:10ZProLine Sports Nutritionhttp://endurancefirst.typepad.com/saving_maple/tag:typepad.com,2003:http://endurancefirst.typepad.com/saving_maple/2014/10/opps-they-did-it-again/comments/atom.xml/Jennifer Burkhart commented on 'Opps they did it again'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c956553ef01b7c6efacce970b2014-10-08T15:01:11Z2014-10-24T17:05:17ZJennifer BurkhartHere is an account of what I put out on 10/5/2014 Please voice your feelings and please be a voice...<p>Here is an account of what I put out on 10/5/2014<br />
Please voice your feelings and please be a voice of change. Have the conversation, it is everyone&#39;s right to speak no matter what side you may be on. </p>
<p>Dear Neighbors, 10/5/2014</p>
<p>This letter is to inform you the plans that the First Presbyterian Church of Libertyville has to demolish a historical home on 212 W Maple Ave, Libertyville. The following is a reporting of the facts to inform you of their plans:</p>
<p>1- Neighbors were not informed of plans to demolish the property at 212 W Maple Ave. A neighbor called the church to ask about what was going on. Construction vehicles were breaking ground to the property. That afternoon, after the phone call, the day of shut off of utilities, neighbors received a letter stating the demolition of 212 W Maple. The letter stated, “We are unable to rent the house in its current conditions and it has become cost prohibitive to improve/maintain the house to a standard exemplified by the neighborhood.” (Vague &amp; indefinable what this means, dated Sep. 24, 2014)<br />
2- All neighbors were not given a ‘voice’ to state their views/concerns of demolition. October 2nd, 2014 three neighbors asked to meet with board members to find out more about the details of the property and why it was to be demolished. These neighbors were told that the church would not sell the property and would only demolish the house because the property was a ‘strategic’ piece of property to keep in possession. These 3 neighbors asked for the church to ‘hear’ out the rest of the community and be given 30 days to help find an alternative solution to demolition. Church representatives denied requests and would not give the community a chance to be heard. <br />
3- Originally in 2009, 212 Maple was part of a plan of the church to demolish and turn into a parking lot. As stated in the Village Meeting Notes, the church agreed to keep (save) 212 Maple from being demolished along with another property owned by the church (213 Maple) in exchange to be able to begin a partial expansion project. Agreements were made by the village, church and community and these properties were saved.<br />
4- Neighbors from 2009 were opposed to the expansion but pleased that the neighborhood homes would remain intact. Articles were posted in the Daily Herald and other newspapers.<br />
5- Several on line articles can be accessed by a key word search of ‘saving 212 W Maple’. They can be also accessed at : <a href="http://endurancefirst.typepad.com/saving_maple/2009/04/index.html" rel="nofollow">http://endurancefirst.typepad.com/saving_maple/2009/04/index.html</a><br />
<a href="http://dailyherald.com/story/print/?id=28666" rel="nofollow">http://dailyherald.com/story/print/?id=28666</a><br />
Several references made to the church needing to be better neighbors to the community and needing to communicate.</p>
<p>Per Village Minutes of the Plan Commission on December 8th, 2008 there were many references made to the negative impact that demolition of houses would bring to the neighborhood. “The church has not exhausted all problem solving alternatives” </p>
<p>Commissioner Robinson is quoted as stating “that he is concerned about the tearing down of residential homes at a time when the village is in the process of establishing affordable housing policy.” P. 6</p>
<p>Commissioner Howard states that, “residential districts should remain residential.” </p>
<p>Several paragraphs later, Commissioner Jaffe stated that, “Any changes on the north side of Maple Ave (212 W Maple) are not merited.” </p>
<p>Commissioner Moore stated that he was “concerned about the potential change to the character of the neighborhood.”</p>
<p>Commissioner Howard stated that the “church should take a more proactive role in talking to the residents in the neighborhood.” </p>
<p>6- There are Illinois Affordable Housing Development Incentives that will provide funding to rehabilitate houses to help those in need of affordable housing. They will pay for the development and rehabilitation of housing. 10% of any community is committed to affordable housing. Has the church exhausted these efforts?<br />
7- There are 9 homes that have been demolished due to church expansion in the neighborhood. 123, 127, 130, and 210 Douglas Ave; 310 &amp; 306 Jackson Ave; 217, 226, &amp; 214 Maple Ave. The church currently owns 316 Jackson, 120 Douglas, 306 Maple, 213 &amp; 212 Maple. <br />
8- 212 Maple will be property number 10 to be Demolished.<br />
Will the other properties be claimed in such disrepair in the future?<br />
9- 212 W Maple is a historical home that was owned by Lewis B. Hanby and his wife, Laura Percy Hanby. Lewis Hanby was a member of the Libertyville village council and a director of the Lake County Fair. Lewis’s wife, Laura, was an active member of the Methodist Church of Libertyville and sang in the choir.</p>
<p>212 W Maple can still be saved. Ask questions. Voice your opinion. Let our community be heard. Neighbors want a voice. Church means Community…a coming together of people and ideas. Let this be a community. Give this community time to be heard. Allow the neighborhood to have a voice. </p>
<p>*ask the church to give us a voice and 30 days<br />
CALL THE CHURCH...CALL THE CHURCH...CALL THE CHURCH<br />
speak clearly, dignified, and peacefully, and ask to voice your feelings. <br />
*call, email, write to Mayor Weppler of Libertyville and express your opinion<br />
*call, email, write to John Spoden, Director of Community Development<br />
*be a voice of change, this can happen in your community<br />
* this house will come down tomorrow we need your help today </p>
<p>Neighbors of this Community<br />
</p>Jennifer Burkhart commented on 'Opps they did it again'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c956553ef01b8d079a0f0970c2014-10-08T14:57:03Z2014-10-24T17:05:17ZJennifer BurkhartThanks for opening this up again!! What it comes down to right now is that people need to speak up....<p>Thanks for opening this up again!! What it comes down to right now is that people need to speak up. This is our last hope. Call the papers and call the church directly. There is nothing that can be done legally and the church knows this. All we can do is hope that we can get to their hearts. There is $$$$ out there to rehabilitate this home. There are grants from the state of Illinois for Affordable Housing Opportunities. And if the church was willing to allow homeless teenagers live in that home and then let them destroy it there is also a moral issue as responsible landlords to take care of your property. They have the food bank once a month that lines up in the parking lot next door and this house could be a historical example of what can happen when community comes together to support each other. Despite our differences in the past and the wedge that has been driven into this neighborhood there is still hope for reconciliation. We can not continue to stay quiet when we have already lost 9 homes in the neighborhood. This will be number 10. Yes we all have our opinions and sides to take but this could be the thing that brings us all together. Did you know that Maple was originally called Division Street? Kind of funny that we are all divided right now. Maybe we can put the &#39;Division&#39; behind us....meet the needs of a church that wants to help a community, use Affordable Housing to help a family in need and build up our neighborhoods socially, physically, and morally and NOT TEAR them down in all these same ways. <br />
As I said before, I am daily doing thing to make things happen... I hope that people begin to speak through their hearts and speak their truth and not hold back their passions that keep us alive and LIVING!</p>